That evening, Graces came to take the two of them home.

Smelian had a wide hood pulled over his head, obscuring his face.

Graces glanced over but didn’t ask. As someone who had been through it himself, he knew Smelian was probably in the awkward transitional phase between his beast and human forms.

But this confirmed that Smelian’s evolution was a success. Once this awkward period was over, he would officially be a Gene Fusion Expert.

So he offered a simple, "Congratulations."

Smelian paused as he was about to get in the car, seemingly surprised that Graces would make a point of saying that to him. He nodded. "Thank you."

When they returned home, the old butler had already prepared dinner, and the cake Lu Xia ordered ahead of time had also arrived.

There on the table sat a particularly beautiful, two-tiered strawberry cake, exuding a sweet, creamy fragrance.

Lu Xia went to her room to change into a long dress. By the time she came back downstairs, Smelian and Graces were already seated.

"Smelian, are you all right? If you’re not feeling well, you can go to your room and rest."

"I’m fine, Xiaxia." He didn’t want to spoil the mood, especially since this family gathering was meant to celebrate him. He didn’t want to be absent.

Lu Xia nodded. "From this day on, Graces is the main husband of this household. In the future, if I am not around, you may consult him on all matters, large or small. Smelian, your injection of the gene fusion agent today was a success. Once your condition stabilizes, I will accompany you to the Administration Hall to update your information. Alright, that’s all I have to say. Let’s eat."

Lu Xia wasn’t very good at making such speeches, so after her brief announcement, she simply raised her glass and clinked it with the others.

Though it was only a small celebration hosted by the family, Lu Xia’s presence made the dinner feel very warm and intimate.

However, due to his physical condition, Smelian didn’t stay for the entire meal. He excused himself midway to return to his room and rest. Everyone knew his situation, so no one blamed him.

Before Smelian went to his room, Lu Xia gave him some more Spiritual Spring Water to drink to help him recover more quickly.

Later that evening, Lu Xia informed Lady Rafaelde of the news that Smelian had successfully evolved into a Gene Fusion Expert.

She had just recently lost a male Gene Fusion Expert due to a prior incident.

So when Lu Xia informed her that Smelian had become a Gene Fusion Expert, Lady Rafaelde was filled with complicated emotions. Still, Smelian becoming a Gene Fusion Expert was absolutely a good thing.

"I’d like to hold a celebratory banquet for Smelian. I was wondering if you, Lady Rafaelde, would be willing to organize it?"

She didn’t necessarily need the Rafaelde family to organize the event for Smelian; she was merely granting them the opportunity.

As expected, Lady Rafaelde understood at once and immediately said, "Of course, I’m willing! I must thank you, Duke, for giving such an opportunity to our Rafaelde family. We will definitely hold a magnificent celebration for Smelian and will absolutely not bring him any dishonor."

"Good. Just let me know if you need anything." Seeing that Lady Rafaelde understood her meaning, Lu Xia said no more. After ending the call, she looked at Graces. "After Smelian’s celebratory banquet, we will hold a public dinner for you as my main husband. What do you think, Graces?"

"I have no objections. I’ll listen to whatever you say, Xiaxia."

*

When the others in the military district learned that Admiral Snop had entrusted Graces with the important task of hosting the commander’s inspection, no one said a thing. If this had happened in the past, when Graces wasn’t yet a Gene Fusion Expert, people would have definitely whispered behind his back. They would have assumed Graces was just sucking up to Admiral Snop; otherwise, how could a ’defective product’ like him land such a great assignment?

But things were different now. Ever since Graces became a Gene Fusion Expert, it was as if all the bad people around him had vanished.

Everyone became incredibly friendly. Knowing he was in charge of hosting the commander, many people came to congratulate him, even offering to help if he needed it.

They were friendly beyond belief.

It perfectly validated the saying: once you’re successful, you’re surrounded by good people.

"Major General, sir. We’ve just been notified that people from the commander’s secretariat will be arriving shortly for a preliminary inspection. Admiral Snop wants you to be ready to receive them."

Graces replied to his adjutant, "Understood."

This was standard procedure. Before a commander’s inspection, their secretariat staff would come in advance to screen everything. It was basically a dress rehearsal; if there were any shortcomings, it gave the district a chance to fix them beforehand.

It was a considerate gesture, giving them one chance for corrections. If the commander arrived after this and still found numerous problems, the consequences would be dire.

If one had to put a label on this style of operating, it would probably be ’politeness before punishment’.

The people from the secretariat arrived shortly after. What no one expected, however, was that accompanying the Chief of Staff was a young female.

Chief of Staff Rheinkas was fairly familiar with Graces. He smiled upon seeing him. "Congratulations, Major General Graces. I hear you’re a Gene Fusion Expert now."

That was hardly a secret in the military district anymore.

Graces thanked him, his demeanor perfectly composed.

Rheinkas smiled and introduced the female beside him to the group. "This is Lady Dain’s daughter, Lady Victoria. She is currently an intern at our secretariat and will be accompanying the commander during this inspection."

Lady Dain was Lady Daina’s sister, and both were members of the Imperial Family. This meant that the young female named Victoria was also a member of the Imperial Family.

Upon hearing this, everyone’s expressions became respectful.

Graces’s attitude, however, remained unchanged. "Good day, Lady Victoria."

His attitude was neither warm nor cold, as if Victoria wasn’t a female from a privileged background, but simply another leader visiting the First Military District for a preliminary inspection, just like Chief of Staff Rheinska.

This impartial attitude made Victoria give him a second glance.

She had expected Graces to be like the other males who, upon learning of her family background, adopted a fawning attitude. After all, she had seen far too many such males these past few days, regardless of how high their own status was.

But Graces’s demeanor felt different. It sparked her curiosity. ’Why is he like this? Is he deliberately putting on an act to get noticed, or is this just how he is?’

He had piqued her interest at once.

"From what Officer Rheinska just implied, Major General Graces... you weren’t a Gene Fusion Expert before?"

As Graces was about to answer the question, Rheinkas chuckled and said, "You might not be aware, Your Ladyship, but Major General Graces was already a Colonel in the First Military District back when he was classified as a ’defective product’. His excellence is beyond question."

A flash of surprise crossed Victoria’s eyes. "Is that so? I didn’t realize the Major General was so exceptional. I wonder, how did you then become a Gene Fusion Expert?"